Du Preez bemoans 'marginal' yellow card

REACTION: Sharks coach Robert du Preez felt a 'marginal' yellow card was not the only incident in an action-packed and brutal encounter with the Lions that warranted a review.

The Sharks, in a dominant first half, were leading 16-6 against the Lions at Ellis Park - before lock Etienne Oosthuizen was yellow carded for a second foul play transgression.

It opened the back foot for the Lions, who eventually won 34-29 in what has been rated by pundits as one of the best games of the season.

In the 27th-minute, after the Sharks hard gone over i the left corner, the TMO alerted the referee to an incident of foul play. Te replays showed OOosthuizen pulling a Lions player out of a melee of bodies with a choke-hold around the neck. The try was disallowed and Oosthuizen penalised.

Just over 10 minutes later a video review by the TMO concluded that Oosthuizen had committed a second infringement for a high tackle (choke hold) and the second row forward was banished to the sin bin.

The Sharks coach, Du Preez, said the yellow card cost his team 14 points.

"That tells a story," he snapped back at a post-match media contingent.

"I don't think it was a turning pint, [because] we had chances right to the end.

"[However], it definitely contributed to the result."

A bitterly disappointed Du Preez fired back again, when media brought up the abrasive lock's history of yellow cards.

"There were other incidents in the game that should also be reviewed," he said, adding: "It wasn't just those two [by Oosthuizen in the 27th and 40th minutes]."

He admitted those two penalties were very costly and added that he was not happy with their discipline.

The Sharks conceded 15 penalties to the eight by the Lions.

"I will need to go look at the game again to see of some of those decisions were right or not," he said.

"That yellow card was so marginal.

"We have to review every single foul play in the game, not just one."

Lions coach Johan Ackermann hinted that the marginal calls went both ways.

"The biggest adjustment we made [at half-time] was our discipline in the game," Ackermann said of a first half that saw his team struggle against the abrasive Sharks.

"We gave too many easy penalties away," he said, adding: "Maybe we didn't play to the referee.

"Maybe we saw things different. [Ruan] Dreyer was on his feet, Malcolm [Marx] was on his feet and Warren [Whiteley] was on his feet," he said of a string of breakdown penalties against the Lions.

"There was a couple of times we felt we had to get reward, but he [the referee] saw it different - [he saw] that there wasn't clear daylight."

"Any yellow card you will look to take advantage of," Whiteley said, adding: "Knowing the position [lock Etienne Oosthuizen] that got the yellow card - you always look at your locks and props in scrums and the stopping line-out mauls.

"That's where we attacked and scored a good mauling try.

"When teams are as close as this, one less player on the field is difficult."